Strong milk prices buoy heifer prices for now

Heifer prices at most recent auctions were steady to higher compared to a month ago. Top-end springing heifers topped out between $1,650 and $1,700. Demand for replacements has held strong with the price of milk. But it appears milk prices are pulling back, which could weigh on demand for heifers as well. The high end of the range of prices for dairy heifer calves in the Stratford, Wis. auction slipped from $175 to $145. However, the price range for calves in Sulphur Springs, Texas jumped from $145 to $290, reports Greg Scheer, dairy analyst with Doane Advisory Services in St. Louis, Mo.